In a shocking incident, a man in Bihar’s Purnia district carried his wife’s body home on a motorcycle as he was denied a mortuary van at a government hospital where she died.
He couldn’t afford a private ambulance.
Shankar Sah is a resident of Ranibari village of Purnia district. His wife, 50-year-old Susheela Devi, died at the Purnia Sadar Hospital on Friday.
No help from hospital
Despite all efforts, Mr. Sah did not get any help from the hospital authorities. He placed his wife’s body on a motorcycle driven by his son and held it as he rode pillion to reach their village home.
Susheela was suffering from a heart disease as well as tuberculosis.
“After the death of my wife, I was told to take away the body and when I requested the medical staff on duty for a vehicle to carry it back to my village, they told me to arrange one on my own,” said 60-year-old Sah.
“I approached the driver of an ambulance, who demanded Rs. 1,500 which I could not afford,” Sah said.
Both father and son work as labourers in Punjab.
Probe ordered
“It is a very unfortunate incident, but no mortuary van is available at the Sadar Hospital at present. The one it had is not functional. So, everyone has to make their own arrangements,” said Purnia civil surgeon M. M. Wasim.
District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Pal said he had ordered a probe into the matter.